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Here's what I think you're missing: Most people who answer telephones for a living are not paid to answer telephones. They're paid to answer customers. If I'm

Here's what I think you're missing: Most people who answer telephones for a living are not paid to answer telephones. They're paid to answer customers. If I'm speaking to someone who's worked too much for their capacity (whatever that is) and I get a curt, wrong, or bad-mannered answer I'm very likely to take my business elsewhere. In fact I've done so, to the tune of a few good thousands, a few times. Off of a repeat bad experience with customer service. Would it be better for the business for that same position to be filled with someone whose energy were better at the time I rung? (To give you credit, some positions do need to fill shifts and it is what it is, but you can always split them between more people)

logifail 4y ago
> Most people who answer telephones for a living are not paid to answer telephones. They're paid to answer customers. If I'm speaking to someone who's worked too much for their capacity (whatever that is) and I get a curt, wrong, or bad-mannered answer I'm very likely to take my business elsewhere (Warning: anecdote) I've just phoned my son's school to tell them he's poorly and won't be there today. The receptionist who answered the phone is "the grumpy one" (there are two at this school, the other one is lovely). Of course it's possible that the grumpy one could well morph into being lovely if only they were given more time off, but I doubt it. I've spoken with both of them dozens of times, and it's utterly predictable, one is always lovely, one always isn't. Some people are great with customers, others just aren't. > some positions do need to fill shifts and it is what it is, but you can always split them between more people There are small businesses where teams are, unsurprisingly, small. Having worked both with and in such places, I'm not sure how feasible the "split between more people" actually is.
- zemvpferreira 4y ago
  Fair enough. Incompetent people should either be trained or fired, no argument there. The point is that in many (most?) jobs it's mutually beneficial to employer and employee if work is done at peak performance. But some people should just...go do something else for all our sakes. I've been a one-person customer support team for thousands of clients myself. Working till 6am to answer all emails in under 24 hours got old very quickly. There's always another way to do things. A business that can't expand or improve while treating employees well is probably not a business that should exist.

logifail 4y ago

> Most people who answer telephones for a living are not paid to answer telephones. They're paid to answer customers. If I'm speaking to someone who's worked too much for their capacity (whatever that is) and I get a curt, wrong, or bad-mannered answer I'm very likely to take my business elsewhere (Warning: anecdote) I've just phoned my son's school to tell them he's poorly and won't be there today. The receptionist who answered the phone is "the grumpy one" (there are two at this school, the other one is lovely). Of course it's possible that the grumpy one could well morph into being lovely if only they were given more time off, but I doubt it. I've spoken with both of them dozens of times, and it's utterly predictable, one is always lovely, one always isn't. Some people are great with customers, others just aren't. > some positions do need to fill shifts and it is what it is, but you can always split them between more people There are small businesses where teams are, unsurprisingly, small. Having worked both with and in such places, I'm not sure how feasible the "split between more people" actually is.

zemvpferreira 4y ago
Fair enough. Incompetent people should either be trained or fired, no argument there. The point is that in many (most?) jobs it's mutually beneficial to employer and employee if work is done at peak performance. But some people should just...go do something else for all our sakes. I've been a one-person customer support team for thousands of clients myself. Working till 6am to answer all emails in under 24 hours got old very quickly. There's always another way to do things. A business that can't expand or improve while treating employees well is probably not a business that should exist.